“It is a dead man, no doubt of that—a dead man they’ve walled up in that wall, there can be no doubt of that either!”
“But in that case,” exclaimed the sergeant, “it must be a question of crime, murder! It is a most grave and serious matter; the Commissary must be advised!”
The mysterious workman bowed: “I am entirely of your opinion,” he said, “the presence of the Commissary appears to me to be indispensable.”
The sergeant, quite beside himself, ran to the outer door, where his subordinate was keeping good guard.
“Japuzot!” he ordered, “run quick to the station and bring the chief. I have discovered a crime. I have just found it is a question of murder!”
Meantime a confused clamour came from the crowd still thronging the landing, at the top of the stairs. Elisabeth Dollon, who had remained transfixed with terror in the outer room, was for coming to see what was happening. Opportunely enough the sergeant stopped her.
“Stay where you are, mademoiselle,” he ordered, “it is not a sight for a young lady; the concierge will bear you company.”
Then, as the gallant officer did not wish the place to be invaded by the curious crowd, nor yet to lose sight of the dubious individual within, he shut to the outer door of the flat. Leaving the people on the landing to their divers conjectures, he returned to the gruesome room, where the paper-hanger still remained. The latter was seated quietly on the floor, for there were no chairs in the room, and had lit a cigarette, and now, with the utmost composure, offered one to the sergeant.
“There’s a bad smell,” he remarked, “it’s the corpse; will you smoke?”
The sergeant, dumbfounded by the man’s calmness in presence of such tragic happenings, could not manage to light his cigarette; his lips were as tremulous as his hands. At last, at the third or fourth attempt, he succeeded; but he had not taken half a dozen puffs when his sense of discipline made him suddenly toss his cigarette out of the window. A peremptory ring had just sounded at the outer door, and the sergeant at once inferred it was the “chief” demanding admittance.